Palmore Honored with Election Law Society's Inaugural Award for Excellence

by Jaime Welch-Donahue
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March 18, 2013

ELS Recognition

College and Law School alumnus Jeff Palmore, at left, receives the Election Law Society's inaugural Award for Excellence on March 15 from Michael Toner at the Washington, D.C., office of Wiley Rein LLP. Toner, a partner at the firm, is former chairman of the Federal Election Commission and an adjunct professor at the Law School.

On March 15 the William & Mary Election Law Society at William & Mary Law School honored Jeff Palmore '00, J.D. '09, director of policy development and deputy counselor to Va. Governor Bob McDonnell, with the society's inaugural Award for Excellence. Former Chairman of the Federal Election Commission Michael Toner, an adjunct law professor at William & Mary and partner at Wiley Rein LLP, presented the award at a reception at the firm's Washington, D.C., office. The Election Law Society (ELS) is a multi-partisan student organization affiliated with the Law School's Election Law Program and is dedicated to studying legal issues related to the electoral process.

According to ELS Co-President Grant McLoughlin, J.D. '14, ELS created the award to honor a graduate of the Law School who has made a significant contribution in the field of election law. ELS Co-President Kayla McCann, J.D. '14 said that Palmore "was a natural pick to receive this inaugural award for his dedication to nurturing the Election Law Society in its early stages, and for the incredible contributions Jeff has already made in his role at Governor McDonnell's office."

Palmore studied government and business administration while an undergraduate at the College of William & Mary and later earned his J.D. at William & Mary Law School. He co-founded the Election Law Society in 2006 with classmates Brandis L. Zehr, J.D. '09 and Elizabeth Howard, J.D. '09. Both Zehr and Howard practice election law in Washington, D.C. Zehr is an associate at Wiley Rein LLP and Howard is an associate at Sandler Reiff Young & Lamb.

"The Law School provided me with a great foundation to pursue my interest in election law," Palmore said. "The Election Law Society was an important part of that, and I am proud to have played a part in building the group, which has become one of the strongest student election law organizations in the country."

Following his graduation from law school, Palmore clerked for Judge Henry E. Hudson of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. He has served in Governor McDonnell's office since August 2010 and previously worked for the governor as special assistant for legislative affairs in the Office of the Attorney General and as a policy advisor on McDonnell's 2009 gubernatorial campaign.

Editor's note: The members of the Election Law Society wish to thank Wiley Rein LLP for hosting the reception. They also wish to thank Brandis L. Zehr, J.D. '09 and Elizabeth Howard, J.D. '09 for their help planning the event.